Draft Greater Cambridge Local Plan for consultation

Support

Representation ID: 210068

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

(S/CBN: Part 53) Endurance support this approach and consider that this is essential to the successful delivery of the project.

Object

Representation ID: 211516

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The current and future vitality of the villages and rural areas has not been properly considered. The Development Strategy as set out fails to accurately provide for rural and village growth to ensure sustainability and vitality of settlements, particularly sustainable large villages.

Growth in villages should be better prioritised in the Development Strategy to ensure that those who wish to live in the rural areas are able to do so and that there is a
variety of choice for the rural community. It is important that villages have adequate incremental growth to sustain the services they currently offer as well as offering appropriate additionality of services to avoid them becoming “sleeper villages".

Object

Representation ID: 211517

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The risk to delivery of dwellings is also increased by the ongoing water supply issues in the region (paragraph 2.80-2.84). The medium term strategy as set out by the Government in 2024 is to increase supply through major infrastructure, however these are not expected to be in supply before 2035.

In the short term the proposals are to increase water efficiency, reuse and offsetting. These solutions are more suitable to sub strategic level developments. Should there be delay with the necessary water infrastructure there may be a failure to deliver adequately in the Plan Period overall. Therefore, smaller sub strategic edge of rural settlement sites should be allocated.

Object

Representation ID: 211518

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Based on the requirement of 48,195 new homes over the Plan Period, 4,820 houses should be on small sites of 1ha or less under the requirements of the NPPF paragraph 73(a). This has not been achieved. The reasons given in justification of this are not “strong” as to why the target cannot be achieved. They set out the desire in the draft Local Plan to pursue a strategy but not a strong reason as to why this 10% requirement cannot be met as a matter
of fact (paragraphs 2.43-2.25 of the justifying text to the Policy). The draft Local Plan should reconsider paragraph 73 and note the clear direction from Government to deliver small and medium sites, and note the benefits for small and medium enterprise housebuilders and the benefits in terms of build out rates.

Object

Representation ID: 211519

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Within the Settlement Hierarchy, Comberton was awarded no points for transport despite the Greenway as it is over 8km from Central Cambridge. This is illogical.

The focus of the study was proximity to Central Cambridge or a market town. No consideration was given to services
which are in neighbouring villages including Cambourne which is less than 8km away (contrary to paragraph 83 of the NPPF). As can be seen from the Comberton Greenway Cycling Times a variety of services are available within reasonable cycling distance of Comberton via the Greenway.

Object

Representation ID: 211520

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Council’s approach also fails to recognise that there are services and job opportunities outside of Central Cambridge and the Market Towns, particularly along the Comberton Greenway, such as Cambridge West Campus and access to Maddingly Road Park and Ride, that mean that there are job opportunities and services within, or near to, the village which are available via sustainable modes of transport. There should also be consideration to
provision of more employment opportunities within the village of an appropriate nature and scale to assist the wider vitality of Comberton and these should not be restricted to the “Employment Use Classes” as set out in the Use Classes Order, but consider employment more widely, for example in health and education.

Object

Representation ID: 211521

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

In the Development Strategy Topic Paper at page 251 it is stated that there was no consensus on how far is too far to cycle and that as such 8km (equating to approx. 30mins)
was picked. This is, as the Topic Paper notes, arbitrary. A more considered approach should be taken, and points should be awarded to settlements which benefit from the Greenways. The Greenways programme has been developed over the last 10 years and their purpose is
to allow non-motorised commuting to services and employment including in Central Cambridge. It should also be noted that there are significant employment opportunities on Cambridge West Campus and on the edge of the city as the new science parks are created
and expand.

Object

Representation ID: 211522

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Settlement Hierarchy should take the broader picture into account and when considering the quantum of development which a settlement can support using the wider proximity to services should be considered not just services in Central Cambridge and Market Towns.

Due to the services within the village and its location near other villages and services on the western edge of Cambridge, Comberton is able to support much higher levels of housing growth sustainably over and above 30 dwellings. Allocations and windfall policies should
include land adjacent to the existing settlement due to the existing services, proximity to other services by sustainable transport (Comberton Greenway) and services on the edge of Cambridge.

Comberton is a sustainable location for growth and development and development which is part of an existing settlement is more achievable in the five year and plan periods than new settlements and strategic urban extensions. It should be considered as a Rural Centre capable of sustaining a larger quantity of growth.

Object

Representation ID: 211523

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The quantum of development allowed in all villages is arbitrary and therefore a broader approach should be taken to development in all villages. Additionally in order to accommodate that development, development adjacent to settlement boundaries should be allocated for and allowed in development management policy terms using grey belt as set out in the NPPF 2024.

Object

Representation ID: 211524

Received: 30/01/2026

Respondent: Endurance Estates

Agent: DLP Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Endurance Estates objects to this policy on the basis that it is arbitrary and it fails to allow for well-connected windfall growth in villages on the basis set out above in relation to policy S/SH.

The DDEs constrain growth of sustainable settlements and there is a lack of capacity testing to demonstrate that growth shall only be delivered within DDE. As set out above there is a need for windfall sites to come forward based on the current housing supply trajectory and
there is also a need to ensure that villages remain vital and vibrant. The artificial DDE limit fails to adhere to these principles.